Having only allowed 20 goals through 19 games, Osasuna has one of the best defenses in La Liga. Unfortunately, because los Rojillos have scored a league-worst 14 goals, José Luis Mendilibar’s team have only won three times this season (also a league low). No surprise, Osasuna sits last in Spain’s Primera Division.

It’s a team Real Madrid should streamroll. Even on the road — even without Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Pepe — a team with El Real’s resources should have no trouble with Osasuna, a team they outscored 12-2 in two games last season.

But this is the 2012-13 Real Madrid, a team that’s never lived up to the club’s lofty expectations. They’re a team that started the domestic season flat before transitioned into Champions League disappointment. As winter came they embraced a dressing room chaos that eventually became a type of existential crisis. As José Mourinho confronted the heart of the team by challenging Ramos and benching Casillas, El Real’s play became a fractured and unmotivated team with no sense of consequences.

After today’s 0-0 draw at El Sadar, Los Blancos could be staring at an 18-point Liga deficit if Barcelona wins at Málaga tomorrow, yet there is little indication they care. Even Mourinho, perhaps out of tactics to use with this team, has adopted an accepting approach, saying he had “no complaints” after the match.

Against one of the Primera’s worst teams, the most expensive squad in the world were played to a standstill, left of absorb as many attacks as they created. They put one shot on goal to Osasuna’s two and split possession with their hosts, and failed to exhibit the kind of dominance the squad’s capable of imposing on a squad of this caliber. Yet José Mourinho “liked the team’s attitude” and had “no criticism” of their performance.

Clearly, he should. His squad showed none of will that was on display last Sunday when a 10-man team withstood a hat trick from Xabi Prieto to beat Real Sociedad, 4-3. As today’s second half ticked away and Mourinho threw on Karim Benzema, Kaká, and Mesut Ozil, there was never an uptick in intensity. There was never any desperation, let alone an increase in effectiveness. Repeatedly Osasuna seemed able to win possession, transition quickly, and put Real on their heals. That shouldn’t be happening against a team as impotent as Osasuna.

The only possible explanation for Real Madrid’s apathy seems to be focus on la decima – their 10th European title. The nine-time European champions are consumed by the pursuit, which is the whole reason why Mourinho is even in Madrid. That fixation combined with the team’s late fall swoon may have forced all their eggs into one basket, making these mid-January league matches almost inconsequential. Perhaps Mourinho has decided to make short terms sacrifices with the hopes of getting his team ready for Manchester United (their Champions League Round of 16 opponent).

If that means benching his best goalkeeper (Casillas) to regain his authority, so be it. If that means upsetting the locker room by butting heads with Ramos, he think that’s for the best. If that means continuing to try places to play Luka Modric, perhaps that will leave them in a better place come February. And if that means dropping points in January, losing track of Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in order to prepare the team for the decima, that may be his only way to salvage this season.

The problem for us, looking on from our detached position, is not knowing whether this is preparation or folly. Real Madrid looks inexplicably bad, and there’s no reason for it. They’re playing worse than we’ve ever seen a José Mourinho team play, and unless there’s some sign this team can turn it around — some indication there’s a method to this melancholy madness — it may not be Mourinho’s team for long.

“Arsenal, as a team, look in good shape and whilst we have a lot of confidence, given their form too, it isn’t a good time to play them.

“At times, Arsenal have struggled with consistency, and it has cost them, but you sense this could be their year. It’s important for us to give ourselves an opportunity to get something out of the game, we need to stay in the match and frustrate them.”

This week’s match with Arsenal kicks off a four-week run that goes Arsenal, Saints, Leicester, Liverpool, Chelsea.

Nicolas Loderio is getting set to play in the MLS Cup finals, something that only came to pass with a team visit to the United States, and the assistance of Luis Suarez.

According to Seattle Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey, he spoke with Lodeiro often in his attempts to bring the 27-year-old from Boca Juniors to Major League Soccer. The moment that swayed him was a trip to the US. A business trip.

With Uruguay competing in the Copa America Centenario, it allowed the two to speak more frequently, but when the Uruguayan became frustrated with his own handle of the native language, a friend stepped in to help. He asked national teammate Suarez to help translate, and thus the transfer came to pass.

“You don’t have body language, it’s harder than it is straight to the face and so he just got frustrated that he couldn’t understand everything that I’m saying,” Lagerwey told MLSSoccer.com’s radio show. “And so he says, ‘Hold on, speak to my friend,’ and I said, ‘OK,’ and I have no idea what’s happening. And Luis Suarez gets on and says, ‘Hi, this is Luis Suarez, how are you?’ And I’m like, ‘Morning, Mr. Suarez, how are you?’ And he was our translator.”

Lodiero has been a revelation for the Sounders since joining in the summer. A creative force all season, the Uruguayan has scored four goals in five playoff matches, bursting onto the national scene on the biggest stage.

“It was just funny. Nico and I, we talked fairly regularly during the process, in part because it took four months for the thing to play out,” “And he was in the US for the Copa America with Uruguay, obviously, and in hindsight that ended up being a big deciding factor for him, because he brought his wife and his little son and they got to see America and I think liked it and developed a comfort level with it. And I think that’s what ultimately pushed them to make the leap, but I was talking and Nico’s English is actually pretty, pretty good, but he isn’t always so comfortable on the phone.”

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Zinedine Zidane is one match away from coaching Real Madrid to a new unbeaten record.

When Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez midway through last season, the inexperienced former midfield standout got off to an auspicious start with a 5-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna.

Eleven months and one Champions League title later, Madrid faces Deportivo again at home on Saturday with the chance of surpassing its longest unbeaten run since the club was founded in 1902.

On Wednesday, Madrid equaled a club record of 34 games without a loss set in 1989 under coach Leo Beenhakker when it drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s important to continue to make history and continue our good run,” Zidane said after the match. “I don’t think it’s very important for me to leave my mark. What interests me the most is to continue with this great run that we’re on.”

Last season, when Real Madrid president Florentino Perez tapped Zidane to take over a struggling team, the decision smelled of desperation.

A fan favorite from his playing days as part of Madrid’s “galaticos” bunch, Zidane was promoted from coaching the reserve team to take over a side that was lurching from one embarrassing episode to the next.

Madrid’s 2015-16 campaign had started with Perez flubbing his play to sign away Manchester United goalie David De Gea. The team was then disqualified from the Copa de Rey for fielding an illegible player, and it endured a 4-0 defeat from Barcelona at home as it failed to click with Benitez.

Perez needed to make an impact move. But instead of searching for a veteran manager, he charged the unproven Zidane with turning around Madrid’s group of talented underachievers.

At first, the team remained erratic, and even looked set to bow out of the Champions League after a shocking 2-0 loss at German side Wolfsburg.

But that defeat on April 6 proved to be a catalyst. The team hasn’t lost since, recovering to claim its 11th European Cup and almost nip Barcelona for the Spanish league crown, before roaring out to lead la Liga this season.

Zidane, whose top-tier coaching experience had been limited to his stint as an assistant under Carlo Ancelotti, has now reached the half-century mark as head manager. During that 50-match period, he has overseen 37 wins, 11 draws and only two losses. That other loss came at Atletico Madrid in February.

“The players have to be congratulated. They’re the ones out on the pitch, it’s them who run, fight and dig in,” Zidane said. “We also have to thank the fans, who always get behind the team and support us. They’ve got to take some credit for what the team is achieving”.

Gifted with world-class stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, Zidane focused on getting more from Madrid’s supporting cast. He put a new emphasis on defense in his midfield by favoring Mateo Kovacic and Casemiro over flashier playmakers James Rodriguez and Francisco “Isco” Alarcon, and he has helped the little-known Lucas Vazquez blossom into an important piece of its attack.

“(Zidane) has gotten us to work hard and for things to go well for us, and that is paying off with this run of 34 unbeaten games,” defender Dani Carvajal said. “Everyone on the team has words of praise for him.”

Whereas the draw with Dortmund was disappointing because it cost Madrid a first-place finish in its Champions League group, its 1-1 stalemate earned last weekend at Barcelona tasted of victory. The “clasico” draw kept Madrid six points clear of Barcelona at the top of the Spanish table.

After it plays Deportivo, Madrid heads to Japan for the Club World Cup.

If Zidane sets the new club mark, his next goal would be the milestone held by Barcelona under counterpart Luis Enrique, whose 39-game unbeaten run was ended by Madrid last April.